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country. By reducing the Indians to obedience, and impofing a regular tax upon them, he had fecured to Spain a large acceffion of new fub. jects, and the establishment of a revenue that promised to be confiderable. By the mines which he had found out and examined, a fource of wealth ftill more copious was opened. Great and unexpected as thofe advantages were, Columbus reprefented them only as preludes to future acquifitions, and as the earnest of more important difcoveries, which he still meditated, and to which thofe he had already made would conduct him with ease and certainty.

The attentive confideration of all thefe circumftances made fuch impreffion, not only upon Ifabella, who was flattered with the idea of being the patronefs of all Columbus's enterprifes, but even upon Ferdinand, who having originally expreffed his disapprobation of his schemes, was ftill apt to doubt of their fuccefs, that they refolved to fupply the colony in Hifpaniola with every thing which could render it a permanent establishment, and to furnish Columbus with fuch a fleet, that he might proceed to search for those new countries, of whofe exiftence he feemed to be confident. The measures moft proper for accomplishing both these designs were concerted with Columbus. Discovery had been the fole object of the first voyage to the New World; and though, in the second, fettlement had been propofed, the precautions taken for that purpose had either been infufficient, or were rendered ineffectual by the mutinous fpirit of the Spaniards, and the unforeseen calamities arifing from various caufes. Now a plan was to be formed of a regular colony, that might serve as a model to all future eflablishments. Every particular was confidered with attention, and the whole arranged with a fcrupulous accuracy. The precife number of adventurers who fhould be permitted to embark was fixed. They were to be of different ranks and profeffions; and the proportion of each was established, according to their usefulness and the wants of the colony. A fuitable number of women was to be chofen to accompany thefe new fettlers. As it was the first object to raife provifions in a country where fcarcity of food had been the occafion of fo much diftrefs, a confiderable body of hufbandmen was to be carried over. As the Spaniards had then no conception of deriving any benefit from thofe productions of the New World which have fince yielded fuch large returns of wealth to Europe, but had formed magnificent ideas, and entertained fanguine hopes with respect to the riches contained in the mines which had been discovered, a band of workmen, killed in the various arts employed in digging and refining the precious metals, was provided. All thefe emigrants were to receive pay and fubfiftence for fome years, at the public expence.

Thus

Thus far the regulations were prudent, and well adapted to the end in view. But as it was forefeen that few would engage voluntarily to fettle in a country, whofe noxious climate had been fatal to so many of their countrymen, Columbus propofed to tranfport to Hifpaniola fuch malefactors as had been convicted of crimes, which, though capital, were of a lefs atrocious nature; and that for the future a certain proportion of the offenders ufually fent to the gallies, hould be condemned to labour in the mines which were to be opened. This advice, given without due reflection, was as inconfiderately adopted. The prifons of Spain were drained, in order to collect members for the intended colony; and the judges empowered to try criminals, were inftructed to recruit it by their future fentences. It is not, however, with fuch materials, that the foundations of a fociety, deftined to be permanent, fhould be laid. Industry, fobriety, patience, and mutual confidenee are indifpenfably requifite in an infant fettlement, where purity of morals muft contribute more towards establishing order, than the operation or authority of laws. But when fuch a mixture of what is corrupt is admitted into the original conftitution of the political body, the vices of thofe unfound and incurable members will probably infect the whole, and must certainly be productive of violent and unhappy effects. This the Spaniards fatally experienced; and the other European nations having fucceffively imitated the practice of Spain in this particular, pernicious confequences have followed in their fettlements, which can be imputed to no other cause.

Though Columbus obtained, with great facility and dispatch, the royal approbation of every measure and regulation that he proposed, his endeavours to carry them into execution were fo long retarded, as must have tired out the patience of any man, lefs accustomed to encounter and to furmount difficulties. Thofe delays were occafioned partly by that tedious formality and spirit of procraftination, with which the Spaniards conduct bufinefs; and partly by the exhausted state of the treasury, which was drained by the expence of celebrating the marriage of Ferdipand and Ifabella's only fon with Margaret of Auftria, and that of Joanna, their fecond daughter, with Philip archduke of Auftria; but must be chiefly imputed to the malicious arts of Columbus's enemics. Aftonished at the reception which he met with upon his return, and overawed by his prefence, they gave way, for fome time, to a tide of favour too ftrong for them to oppofe. Their enmity, however, was too inveterate to remain long inactive. They refumed their operations, and by the affiftance of Fonfeca, the minifter for Indian affairs, who was now promoted to the bishopric of Bajados, they threw in fo many ob

ftacles

ftacles to protract the preparations for Columbus's expedition, that a year elapfed before he could procure two fhips to carry over a part of the fupplies destined for the colony, and almost two years were spent before the small squadron was equipped of which he himself was to take the command.

This fquadron confifted of fix fhips only, of no great burden, and but indifferently provided for a long or dangerous navigation. This voyage which he now meditated was in a course different from any he had undertaken. As he was fully perfuaded that the fertile regions of India lay to the fouth-weft of those countries which he had difcovered, he propofed, as the most certain method of finding out these, to stand directly fouth from the Canary or Cape de Verd islands, until he came under the equinoctial line, and then to ftretch to the west before the favourable wind for fuch a course, which blows invariably between the tropics. With this idea he fet fail, on May the thirtieth, one thousand four hundred and ninety-eight, and touched firft at the Canary, and then at the Cape de Verd islands, on July the fourth. From the former he dispatched three of his fhips with a fupply of provifions for the colony in Hifpaniola: with the other three, he continued his voyage towards the fouth. No remarkable occurrence happened till July the nineteenth, when they arrived within five degrees of the line. There they were becalmed, and at the fame time the heat became fo exceffive, that many of their wine casks burst, the liquor in others foured, and their provifions corrupted. The Spaniards, who had never ventured fo far to the south, were afraid that the fhips would take fire, and began to apprehend the reality of what the ancients had taught concerning the deftructive qualities of that torrid region of the globe. They were relieved, in some measure, from their fears by a seasonable fall of rain. This, however, though so heavy and unintermitting that the men could hardly keep the deck, did not greatly mitigate the intenfenefs of the heat. The admiral, who with his ufual vigilance had in perfon directed every operation, from the beginning of the voyage, was fo much exhaufted by fatigue and want of sleep, that it brought on a violent fit of the gout, accompanied with a fever. All these circumftances conftrained him to yield to the importunities of his crew, and to alter his course to the north-weft, in order to reach fome of the Caribbee iflands, where he might refit, and be supplied with provifions.

On the first of Auguft, the man stationed in the round top surprised them with the joyful cry of land. They stood towards it, and difcovered a confiderable island, which the admiral called Trinidad, a name it ftill retains. It lies on the coaft of Guiana, near the mouth of the

Orinoco.

Orinoco. This, though a river only of the third or fourth magnitude in the New World, far furpaffes any of the ftreams in our hemifphere. It rolls towards the ocean fuch a vast body of water, and rushes into it with fuch impetuous force, that when it meets the tide, which on that coaft rifes to an uncommon height, their collifion occafions a fwell and agitation of the waves no lefs furprifing than formidable. In this conflict, the irresistible torrent of the river fo far prevails, that it freshens the ocean many leagues with its flood. Columbus, before he could perceive the danger, was entangled among thofe adverfe currents and tempeftuous waves, and it was with the utmoft difficulty that he efcaped through a narrow ftrait, which appeared fo tremendous, that he called it La Boca del Drago. As foon as the confternation which this occafioned, permitted him to reflect upon the nature of an appearance so extraordinary, he difcerned in it a fource of comfort and hope. He juftly concluded, that fuch a vaft body of water as this river contained, could not be fupplied by any island, but muft flow through a country of immenfe extent, and of confequence that he was now arrived at that continent which it had long been the object of his wishes to difcover. Full of this idea, he stood to the weft along the coaft of those provinces which are now known by the names of Paria and Cumana. He landed in feveral places, and had fome intercourfe with the people, who refembled thofe of Hifpaniola in their appearance and manner of life. They wore, as ornaments, small plates of gold, and pearls of confiderable value, which they willingly exchanged for European toys. They feemed to poffefs a better understanding, and greater courage, than the inhabitants of the islands. The country produced four-footed animals of feveral kinds, as well as a great variety of fowls and fruits. The admiral was fo much delighted with its beauty and fertility, that with the warm enthusiasm of a discoverer, he imagined it to be the paradise defcribed in Scripture, which the Almighty chofe for the refidence of man, while he retained innocence that rendered him worthy of fuch a habitation. Thus Columbus had the glory not only of discovering to mankind the existence of a New World, but made confiderable progress towards a perfect knowledge of it; and was the first man who conducted the Spaniards to that vaft continent which has been the chief feat of their empire, and the fource of their treasures in this quarter of the globe. The fhattered condition of his fhips, fcarcity of provifions, his own infirmities, together with the impatience of his crew, prevented him from pursuing his difcoveries any farther, and made it neceffary to away for Hifpaniola. In his way thither he discovered the islands of Cubagua and Margarita, which afterwards became remarkable for

bear

their

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their pearl-fishery. When he arrived at Hifpaniola, on the thirtieth of Auguft, he was wafted to an extreme degree with fatigue and fickness; but found the affairs of the colony in fuch a fituation, as afforded him no profpect of enjoying that repofe of which he ftood fo much in need.

Many revolutions had, happened in that country during his abfence. His brother the adelantado, in confequence of the advice which the ad'miral gave before his departure, had removed the colony from Ifabella to a more commodious ftation, on the oppofite fide of the island, and laid the foundation of St. Domingo, which was long the moft confiderable European town in the New World, and the feat of the fupreme courts in the Spanish dominions there. As foon as the Spaniards were established in this new fettlement, the adelantado, that they might neither languish in inactivity, nor have leifure to form new cabals, marched into thofe parts of the island which his brother had not yet vifited or reduced to obedience. As the people were unable to refift, they fubmitted every where to the tribute which he impofed. But they foon found the burden to be fo intolerable, that, overawed as they were by the fuperior power of their oppreffors, they took arms against them. Those infurrections, however, were not formidable. A conflict with timid and naked Indians was neither dangerous nor of doubtful iffue.

But while the adelantado was employed against them in the field, a mutiny, of an afpect far more alarming, broke out among the Spaniards. The ringleader of it was Francis Roldan, whom Columbus had placed in a station which required him to be the guardian of order and tranquility in the colony. A turbulent and inconfiderate ambition precipitated him into this defperate measure, fo unbecoming his rank. The arguments which he employed to feduce his countrymen were frivolous and ill-founded. He accufed Columbus and his two brothers of arrogance and feverity; he pretended that they aimed at establishing an independent dominion in the country; he taxed them with an intention of cutting off part of the Spaniards by hunger and fatigue, that they might more eafily reduce the remainder to fubjection; he reprefented it as unworthy of Caftilians, to remain the tame and paffive flaves, of three Geonese adventurers. As men have always a propenfity to impute the hardships of which they feel the preffure, to the mifconduct of their rulers; as every nation views with a jealous eye the power and exaltation of foreigners, Roldan's infinuations made a deep impreffion on his countrymen. His character and rank added weight to them. A confiderable number of the Spaniards made choice of him as their leader, and taking arms against the adelantado and his brother, feized the king's magazine of provifions, and endeavoured to surprise

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